As we fly back from the Conference, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to hear from colleagues around the country, and Canada, who have dedicated so much of their talents to the work of Jesuit education. One of the things I learned from my time being a Jesuit: what animates all of us in this work is the momentum of grace which infused and organized Ignatius' heart and mind. Whenever I find myself in the company of colleagues who have been given the opportunity to slow down and share what gives them (and us) joy, the challenges faced at work reorient not on the struggle, but on the chance at helping students discover the beauty of thinking. This "other-centeredness" is an aspect and fruit of that "momentum of grace".
The overall impression I bring from the Conference is that we (in this profession where the goal is not teaching, but learning) must continue to support one another, seek the best in one another. At times I lose sight of the purpose of our vocation: learning. Fundamentally, I believe this device on which I'm composing this post can foster learning, and that must become its primary purpose. So, how do I achieve that? How do I reconstitute my use of it from entertainment device to a tool that can stimulate thought and offer creative expression to MY learning? If I cannot find it in this use for MY learning, how can I offer it as a tool for OTHERS' learning? This question is one I will wrestle with, and I hope we will wrestle with it together.
Other points of consideration from the Conference:
When asked, if given 5 minutes to give reason for adopting a 1:1 environment, some answers struck me. 1. Our students' lives are, and will continue to be, saturated with technology. I may like that or not, but it is true. So, how do I find God there? How do I take this reality as it is, not as I want it to be, and look for God? How can we see in this tool, in this world, new revelations of God's Spirit? If I presume God is here, then what? Ignatius challenges us to find God, so this is our task. 2. In many ways the advent of Twitter, smart phones, Snap Chat, and so many other technologies are becoming increasing factors of importance in teenagers' lives, yet if our sole message is it doesn't belong at school, "just turn it off", are we meeting them where they are at? Are we helping them Find God in All Things? 3. A central obligation we (may) have is to help our students learn to use freedom wisely. By going 1:1 we will begin that patient work of learning discernment in a new age. 4. Our mission is to be immersed in the world, meeting God here, and part of this is recognizing in a society where the rich and poor are becoming ever more disconnected, pushed farther away from each other, this ensures all our students will start to have more equal access. This is not access to video games, even if they believe that is the largest reward of this whole enterprise, it is that we are now assuring each of our students has a more level playing field in responding to the world of tomorrow. This is justice, to reduce the digital divide from our students with means compared to those without. They of course have to embrace this opportunity, but at least this can offer them a less disparate playing field in technological "native-ness".
These are my more meaningful recollections of the time in Washington, DC. My next post will be more practical - it will be a list of apps and ideas associated with those apps for actual implementation in our classrooms.
No comments:
Post a Comment